This is a guest post by Yen Cabag, blog writer of TCK Publishing. In this post, she shares her recommendations on how authors can balance their book marketing and promotional needs with the current heightened need for public safety and social distancing.

Building your author platform is a must-do for anyone wanting to become a successful author.

After all, if you believe in the importance of the message or the experience you offer with your book, you shouldn’t be hesitant about getting it in front of other people.

Authors aren’t just writers – you also need to be intentional at marketing and selling your book, too. 

There are many ways to market your book, including exciting things like book tours and book signings, as well as more mundane tasks like keeping up a presence on social media. And, of course, many experts recommend you start building your author platform even before you get your book out.

But, with the coronavirus pandemic upon us, what’s an author to do? 

First things first: you definitely don’t want to capitalize on people’s fear by feeding on their uncertainty.

Unfortunately, some writers have done so in order to grab attention and short-term sales. But this strategy never works in the long-term, and can often backfire on the author rather spectacularly.